Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder With Buprenorphine-Naloxone at Chainama Hills College Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia: A Case Report

Opioid dependence is a disorder of the central nervous system that results from chronic use of opiates. Opioids cause intense feelings of euphoria, and this is what puts opiate users at risk of recreational use of these substances. There is a desire to increase the dose in order to enhance the effect of opioids, therefore addiction arises, which is a serious medical and social problem. The more opiates come from outside, the less natural opiates are produced, and more opiates are required to create a strong feeling of euphoria, which previously could be achieved with a lower dose. The consequence of a chronic opioid use is the drug tolerance, and abrupt cessation of use causes a serious condition of opioid withdrawal syndrome, indicating the presence of physical dependence. This article describes the experience and the case study of Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) with buprenorphine and naloxone at Chainama Hills College Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.